﻿Gratitude Gourmet(tm)﻿

Turning Leaf Merlot has a great pairing recipe with pizza, and they also have a new holiday hotline. What a great way to communicate with customers! I created and ran a Customer Loyalty Program at a large technology company, and I think Turning Leaf is doing a great job ensuring the right experts and content are represented.

Turning Leaf full-bodied Merlot has rich flavors with round and soft tannins. The wine opens with aromatic notes of boysenberry jam and juicy blackcurrant. Hints of chocolate combine with elegant notes of leather and spice to create a complex, lingering finish. Savor this one with a slice (or two) of veggie pizza. Try this spinach and mushroom pizza for a light, healthy alternative. Ingredients:

2 Tbs Olive Oil

1 Clove Minced Garlic

1/2 Cup Fresh, Chopped Mushrooms

1 Cup Fresh, Chopped Spinach

Pinch Salt

Pinch Black Pepper

1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce

1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (Parma vegan parmesan)

1/3 Cup Grated Mozzarella (vegan)

1 premade pizza dough

Directions:

Heat oil on medium-low heat in a large saute pan

Add the vegetables and garlic

Saute the mushrooms and spinach lightly until spinach wilts

Add salt and pepper

Remove pan from the heat and cool

Evenly spread the tomato sauce on the pizza dough

Layer spinach mixture evenly over sauce

Layer the cheeses on pizza

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the cheese melts

if you’re looking for a great resource for fresh ideas for at-home entertaining, try the Turning Leaf Holiday Hotline(1-877-TLWINE-3). Automated tips will be available 24-hours a day offering instant entertaining advice from experts on everything from how to pair wine with your meal to what to do when 20 people RSVP to your dinner party when your table only seats 10.

A Study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology notes that when patients took a Curcumin supplement, a pigment in curry, the size and number of of colon polyps they had were cut in half. Also, pair curry with black pepper to absorb 2,000 percent more of of its potent compounds.

A New Zealand wine has become the first in the world to display the carbon footprint of each individual glass serving on its label – laying bare to the shopper or drinker the full environmental impact of making and transporting it.Each bottle of Mobius Marlborough sauvignon blanc – which takes its name from the highest peak of the range of hills above the town – will display its carbon emissions for a typical 125ml glass.On the new label the relevant emissions, which are calculated to reflect the environmental impact of factors such as transportation and refrigeration, will be measured separately for every export market. So bottles sold in New Zealand, for example, will carry a figure of 140g CO2, whereas bottles shipped to Australia will display 190g.A higher figure is due to be calculated for the UK market which will reflect the huge distance involved in shipping the wines here. Experts estimate that a 750ml bottle of wine at 190g CO2 per glass equates roughly to the carbon emissions released by a three-mile car journey. UK drinkers consume £7.6bn worth of wine imports every year, making the country the world's largest importer of wine.

A Gratitude Gourmet reader, Robert Lee, just informed me that McDonalds was given the boot in Disney, Orlando and BabyCakes, a vegan NYC bakery, is opening in it's place! Here's the article.I haven't tried BabyCakes' baked items. If you have, share your thoughts with us!

Per No Limits.org's last e-newsletter, The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act,designed to ensure stronger inspections and higher standards for the food we eat, had been stalled in the Senate . . . until now. Thanks for reaching out to your senators to ask them to support the bill, and there is good news.Last week, the Senate voted to invoke cloture on the bill by a vote of 74 to 25...meaning that the bill cannot be filibustered and that the Senate will soon have a full floor debate on the legislation before voting on final passage. That vote may take place as soon as the week after Thanksgiving.*** To see who voted in favor of proceeding with the bill, click here.Thank your senators who supported the bill and tell them to keep up the great work on this legislation that is so important for the health and well-being of all Americans!

Krystina Castella has written a NEW creative cookbook called Crazy About Cookies with more than 350 recipes, and you'll be inspired by all the thoughtful recipes such as:- Banana Oatmeal Cookies- Mulled Wine Cookies (perfect for the Autumn Season)- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Apricot Cookies- Fondant Snow Globe Cookies for the Christmas season, and as a Bonus:- Templates for cookie constructions to help with some of the fun and unique design ideas

These cookies are based on the Spanish cookies called rosquillosde vino. The flavor varies drastically depending on the wine youuse. For a wine cookie tasting, try merlot, shiraz, cabernet, pinotnoir, and Chianti. For a pure wine flavor, omit the anise andcinnamon.1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 cookie sheets withparchment paper.2. Put the red wine, anise seeds, and cinnamon in asaucepan, and cook over medium-high heat untilreduced to 1 cup.3. Combine wine reduction with the sugar, oil, shortening,and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the aniseextract and mix well. Gradually add the flour, stirringuntil incorporated; the dough will be dry.4. On a floured work surface, roll a handful of dough intoa rope 1⁄3 inch thick. Cut into 4-inch lengths. Form eachlength into a ring by making a loop and pinching bothends. Transfer to the cookie sheets, placing the rings 2inches apart. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until golden.Transfer to a rack, and let cool for 10 minutes.5. Make the wine glaze: Combine the confectioners’sugar, cinnamon, red wine, and anise extract, addingmore sugar or wine until the mixture is of thin icingconsistency. Dip the cookies in glaze and let dry on acookie sheet.VariationChampagne Cookies: Replace the red wine in both the cookies andthe glaze with champagne.

A recent Wicked e-newsletter has a very interesting tip about how much water and greenhouse gases are reduced by one less meat meal a week. 'Replace one beef meal each week to save 40,000 gallons of water and 300 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere."

Harmony is narrated by Prince Charles, and has its broadcast premiere 10pmET Friday, November 19th on NBC. Prior to its premiere, “Dateline” will air an exclusive interview of Prince Charles speaking with Brian Williams at 9pmET.

I was grateful to be on a conference call with the Executive Producers Julie Bergman Sender and Stuart Sender. In addition to the Video Preview above, here are Stuart and Julie Sender's comments from this week's conference call.

Per Stuart Sender:"You know, when we started working on this project on Harmony people would understandably want to ask us about the Prince, you know, what is he like and what is it like to work with him? But, you know, what we really want to say from the outset is as the Prince of Wales has always insisted, this has never really been about the Prince but much more about what we’ve come to see as the principles. That said, I do want to take a minute to just say a few words about the Prince of Wales for people who may not know that much about his history.

Because this film grows out of 30 years plus of his work around combating climate change, 25 years of work as an organic farmer working on issues on sustainability, corporate social responsibility and being that is kind of lead up to his being named one of Time Magazine’s leaders and visionaries as a hero of the environment.

And so we really had a kind of, you know, extraordinary experience working with all of this material and creating a film that we hope will give people a kind of a different perspective, not just on the global environmental crisis that we hear about, but also about the way that that’s connected to real solutions that we can look at in terms of the environment and the economy are connected about how we grow and distributed our food, about how we can create new technologies that are inspired by really interesting entrepreneurs who are looking at nature and figuring out how to make - how to create solutions to some of the problems that we’re facing.

The Prince has an initiative called Dutchy Originals which acts a lot the way Newman’s Own does where natural and organic products are sold and proceeds are given to charities. And that was how we connected.

The Prince had made his own film called the Earth in Balance. All the way back in 1990 he made a film that dealt with environmental issues and climate change.

And I think he felt pretty passionately that a lot of these issues were not just still happening but that these were things that needed to be addressed with even more urgency.

You know, as he said, you know, we’re now dealing with a planet that has dwindling resources and real crisis that we’re facing. And a lot of this stuff that we continue to do we do with the awareness that we’re facing these challenges and that this was a time to issue what he calls in the movie a call to action."

Per Julie Sender:"...I think, you know, the fact that he’s the Prince of Wales is in a way secondary to his passion about this issue, that he views his position in the world as a way to bring awareness and to bring support to people from all different economic, social religious, you know, environmental and sustainable workers and people who are suffering from climate change as much as people who are working towards making it less of a threat. He really does believe that this is his calling as a person"

Per Stuart Sender:"The Prince has an organic farm that’s about 1200 acres. It’s quite an extraordinary place. And when you watch the movie you’ll get a little bit of a taste -- no pun intended -- of what that farm is like and why he decided to convert to organic as a kind of way of expressing his values in the world.

And..so we look at that as a kind of an example of what Harmony might be."

The Republic of Tea has released some new flavors you have to try:1. Raw Green Bush Tea Collection, the first unoxidized South African rooibos or Red Tea in the American marketplace. The collection includes:- Natural Organic, a smooth flavor with a hint of malt and fresh herbal character,- Black Current Cardamom, juicy black currant with a dash of cooling cardamom, - Mango Chili, tropical mango finished with a kick of spicy chili, - Plantain Coconut, sweet plantain banana with a touch of fragrant coconut and - Orange Red Carrot, zest of orange peel blended with sweet carrot and beetroot bits.

2. Organic Tumeric GingerThe Republic of Tea blends exotic Turmeric, a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, with fresh organic green tea and organic ginger. Note there is honey in this. Turmeric is a spice derived from the rhizomes (root) of Curcuma longa, a small perennial herb native to tropical South Asia and a member of the ginger family. Curcuminoids are polyphenolic compounds that give turmeric its yellow color; curcumin is the principal curcuminoid in turmeric. Studies suggest turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that may help fight cancer. Research also suggests the spice may be a key to overcoming obesity, as turmeric may help answer medical questions indicative of diabetes and heart disease often associated with weight management issues.

3. Naturally Sweet TeaA premium naturally-sweet black tea with no sugar, no calories and no artificial sweeteners. The Republic of Tea used a rare and remarkable variety of mountain-grown Korean hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata) to create it. Processed in the traditional method, fresh, hand-harvested hydrangea leaves of this beautiful flowering plant are crumpled, steamed and dried with care, yielding dark brown leaves rich in essential oils that impart a lingering sweet flavor. The hydrangea leaves are then blended with premium black tea leaves.

Per Nicholas Perricon MD, author or Forever Young, says Chia Seeds available at most health food stores, "..are loaded with amino acids, which help cells repair themselves, for younger looking skin."Here's another great bonus for you: Chia seeds are also very high in Omega-3 fatty acids, even higher than flaxseed... and you don't have to ground chia seeds as with flaxseed to achieve more health benefits. Chia seeds also have magnesium and calcium. It sounds like a SuperFood to me, and I'll be going to the health food store to buy this!

Dr. Walter C. Willett, chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health and a former member of the federal government’s nutrition advisory committee, said: “The U.S.D.A. should not be involved in these programs that are promoting foods that we are consuming too much of already."

Dr. Neal Barnard, President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which challenged a federal agency's claim that eating dairy products can help dieters lose weight, says: "If you want to look at why people are fat today, it's pretty hard to identify a contributor more significant than this meteoric rise in cheese consumption."The government has had warnings about saturated fat, and Americans have been moving toward low-fat milk for decades. Yet the government, through Dairy Management, a marketing creation of the United States Department of Agriculture, the same agency at the center of a federal anti-obesity drive that discourages over-consumption of some of the very foods, Dairy Management is vigorously promoting is engaged in an effort to find ways to get dairy back into Americans’ diets, primarily through cheese.

One slice of this new cheese-laden Dominos pizza contains as much as two-thirds of a day’s maximum recommended amount of saturated fat, which has been linked to heart disease and is high in calories.

Nominations are due by December 10, 2010- $10,000 cash prize in the Food Producer category- $5,000 cash prize in the Young Food Leader categoryA GrowingGreenAward will be given to an outstanding individual in each of four categories, including Food Producer, Business Leader, Knowledge Leader, and Young Food Leader. Cash prizes of $10,000 and $5,000 will be awarded in the Food Producer and Young Food Leader categories, respectively, and all winners will be widely celebrated through outreach to media and NRDC’s networks. Winners will also be celebrated on April 28, 2011 at an event to benefit NRDC in San Francisco. Award selections will be made by an independent panel of sustainable food experts including Michael Pollan, Maria Rodale, Dan Barber, and Dr. Tom Tomich. Information about award eligibility, selection criteria and process, and the award selection panel are provided in the attached announcement or online at http://bit.ly/growgrn.

I've featured severalGratitude Gourmet articles where there are CEOs and Presidents becoming vegan. There is a new BusinessWeek article describing this trend I think you would appreciate. The only disagreement I have with the article is that it says you have to buy Tofurky or that it's expensive. Actually, I've found it's much cheaper to be vegan if you plan your meals, and you limit processed foods. Also, if you think about the expense of health-care costs, eating more plant-based foods is a small(er) price to pay for overall health both in the short-term and long-term.

Steve Wynn says he bought 10,000 copies of Eating, one for each of his employees. "I'm providing the ... insurance.If they're sick, we're picking up the tab," says Wynn. "If I can keep them healthier, I'm acting like a smart businessman." Wynn has also said his vegan diet has got him off Lipitor.Many have heard that medical costs are the Number One cause of bankruptcies in the U.S.

Almond Milk has natural nutrients (Vitamin, A, D, & E), and is perfect for those sensitive to gluten. Almond Breeze® is available in Original, Vanilla and Chocolate at any Whole Foods or natural foods section in your grocery store. I particularly prefer Vanilla, and here are some recipes for Almond Hot Toddy and Almond Hot Chocolate.

Ingredients:2 cups Almond Breeze® Original6 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa, plus more for garnish1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions:Place the chocolate and cocoa in a mixing bowl. Heat Almond Breeze® in a saucepan. Pour over chocolate and cocoa and whisk well to melt and make frothy. Stir in vanilla. If available, use a hand blender or hand mixer to make it even more frothy on top. Pour into mugs and serve immediately. Dust with cocoa to garnish and serve with Chocolate-Covered Almonds. For more holiday beverage ideas visit http://www.bluediamond.com.

Famed pastry chef Martin Howard has created brand-new desserts that feature Lucid absinthe, launched in 2007 as the first absinthe to be legally available in America.

Here are recipes for French Pear Cocktail and Apple Pan Dowdy with Lucid Whipped Cream. French Pear Cocktail1 oz Lucid® absinthe2 oz fresh pear juice1/2 oz simple syrup1/2 oz lemon juiceShake all ingredients well in mixing glass with ice. Pour into highball glass and garnish withsliced pear.Apple Pan Dowdy with Lucid whipped cream (note I've substituted non-dairy options)Crust1 c. Flour8 TBSP Non-Dairy Butter (EarthBalance)1 tsp. Sugar½ tsp Salt¼ c. Cold waterBlend together flour, butter, shortening, sugar and salt with a pastry blender. Add water and mix just until combined. Wrap and chill.Filling4 Apples¼ tsp Nutmeg1 tsp. Cinnamon½ c. Sugar1 TBSP. Flour2 TBSP. Lucid Peel, core and slice apples. Place all ingredients into a bowl and toss together with your hands and place into individual baking dishes. Dot with non-dairy butter if desired. Roll dough into slightly larger rounds than the diameter of the dishes. Place a little non-dairy butter on edges and place dough over dish. Make a slit in top of each. Bake at 400⁰ for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 325⁰ and bake for 30 minutes or until apples are soft.

Whip together 1 c. soy heavy cream, 1 ½ TBSP sugar, ½ tsp vanilla extract and 1TBSP Lucid to medium peaks. Serve on side or pipe into slit in top of crust. Makes 4-6 portions depending on size of dishes.

Smoothies, Falafel Wraps, Caesar Salad, Pizza, Lasagna, Carrot Cake, and Brownies.Rod Rotondi is Author of Raw Food for Real Peopleand teaches about raw food through DVDs, retreats, and online and in-person classes. The founder of the Leaf Organics retail product line and Leaf Cuisine restaurants, he caters events and lives in Los Angeles, and you can visit him online at http://www.leaforganics.com.Rod's book shares his Foreign Travels, Road to his Raw Vegan Diet, How he Became an Entrepreneur, Transitioning to a Raw Food Diet, Setting up your Kitchen, All Meal Categories including Breakfasts, Appetizers, Soups, Entrees, and Desserts, and even a Special Kids Section. He uses his unique perspective to create world cuisine into affordable raw, vegan**If you're looking for a great raw vegan cookbook, this is definitely one you should have on hand.Page 141 of the book lists Thanksgiving recipes for the Love Loaf, Cranberry Sauce, and Mashed Taters. As a Special Treat toGratitude GourmetReaders, these recipes are below, excerpted from the book Raw Food for Real People 2010 by Rod Rotondi. Printed with permission from the New World Library.-----Thanksgiving FeastHere are a few dishes to serve for a wonderful holiday meal. They are based around the traditional Thanksgiving meal, but with a raw vegan twist. We were running this as a special on Thanksgiving at the restaurant, and the Food Network came in and filmed me making it for a show called The Secret Life of Thanksgiving. It still airs every Thanksgiving. This meal is something to celebrate! If you like, you can choose a pie from the dessert chapter to complete the feast.

Love LoafIf you are into making meat substitutes, then you should try this one. It is a very meaty and delicious dish. If you want to make it even more meaty, add a cup of soaked sun-dried tomatoes. Makes 6 to 8 slices1/2 cup sesame seeds, ground1/3 cup flaxseeds, ground3/4 cup sunflower seeds, groundJuice of 1 lemon (about 1/2 cup)1/4 cup mild miso paste2 yams, chopped (about 2 cups)1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)1 medium apple, cored and chopped (about 1 cup)8 sage leaves1 small yellow summer squash, chopped (about 1/2 cup)2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt1. Put the ground sesame seeds, flaxseeds, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.2. Put all the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. You can process this in batches if your machine can’t do it all in one batch.3. Add the processed vegetables to the ground seeds and mix together well.4. Form the mixture into a long, low loaf, about 1 1/2 inches thick, on a ParraFlex sheet. Put in the dehydrator and dehydrate for 10 to 12 hours, until the loaf is slightly crispy but still a little spongy.5. To serve, cut the loaf into slices about 3/4 inch thick and return them to the dehydrator for about an hour to warm and crisp up. Put a slice on each plate, and serve with Mashed Taters, Cranberry Sauce (recipes follow), and some greens. Cranberry SauceThis sauce is simple but packs a lot of flavor. If you like, you can sweeten it even more with about 1/4 cup agave nectar.Serves 6 to 8 2 medium oranges, peeled and quartered1 cup fresh cranberries (use frozen if you can’t find fresh)1/2 cup pitted dates1/2 cup soaked walnuts (soaked 2 hours, drained, and rinsed)1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)1. Put the oranges first, then the rest of the ingredients, in a food processor. Process to your desired consistency. For a smoother sauce, you may remove some to a blender and blend until smooth, then return to the processor and pulse to mix.Mashed TatersThis makes for a tasty and healthy comfort food. Smooth and delicious.Serves 8

All of us know fresh fruit is best, but if you're in a hurry, what are other options?The Healthy People 2010 initiative advises Americans eat fruit at least twice a day to help prevent illness and maintain a healthy weight, but a new report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that a less than 33% of adults are meeting their daily requirement. If you're on-the-go, Stretch Island Fruit Co. offers an easy way to get your daily serving of fruit when fresh fruit isn’t a convenient option. Stretch Island® Original Fruit Strips equal one-half serving of fruit, are less than 45 calories each, and contains no artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors, additives or preservatives. I love the Summer Strawberry, Orchard Cherry, Ripened Raspberry, Autumn Apple, Mango Sunrise, and Abundant Apricot flavors.

I've been a fan of Annie Chun's products for quite some time, especially the Miso Soups. I recently got the chance to try some NEW Annie Chun products and thought I would share the experience with you.

Pad Thai Brown Rice Noodles & Pad Thai SaucePad Thai (fettuccine) rice noodles are perfect for making Thailand's national dish, Pad Thai. There's an easy recipe right on the side of the package, and they're great in soups, stir-fries, and cold noodle salads. You can toss it with one of Annie Chun's sauces to make a satisfying hot or cold meal in 5 minutes. Yes, that's right...5 minutes. All noodles are fat-free, wheat-free, and gluten-free. My favorite pairing sauce is the Annie Chun Pad Thai sauce. It reminds me alot of my trip to Thailand and eating dinner at 4am because of jetlag.:-)

Mai Fun Brown Rice Noodles are also NEW and have a fine-like angel hair pasta consistency. Because these two pastas are made with brown rice flour, they have higher levels of Vitamin B, iron, and fiber.

Korean Seaweed SnacksHere's a new snack that's full of vitamins and minerals. Annie Chun's Korean Seaweed snacks are light and crispy; they're roasted and then seasoned with a dash of salt and sesame oil. They're vegan, gluten-free, and low fat.